November 2009

well

HEALTH

Does the Vaccine Matter?

To prevent a devastating flu pandemic, the government is relying heavily on vaccines and antivirals. Some experts say that both are quite possibly useless.

by Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer

Q&A:

The authors answer questions about H1N1 diagnosis and immunity.

DESIGN

Houses of the Future

In New Orleans, a new kind of house is rising from the ruins of Katrina. Cheap, green, and radically hip, it may change architecture for a generation.

by Wayne Curtis

INTERACTIVE MAP:

Explore the new homes described in Wayne Curtis's story

Brave Thinkers

Twenty-seven people with courageous ideas—from relocating endangered species to hiring autistics to printing loads of money—that are shaping our future. The first installment of an annual feature.

VIDEO:

Watch mini-documentaries about the Brave Thinkers featured in this issue and submit your own nominations

The Snatchback

When Todd Hopson wanted to get Andres, the 9-year-old boy he'd raised from infancy, back from his biological father in Costa Rica, he called Gus Zamora, who retrieves internationally abducted children for a living. Here’s what happened next.

by Nadya Labi

SIDEBAR:

The author explains how she ended up following Gus Zamora around the globe

AUDIO:

Labi’s sound recording of the actual snatchback in Costa Rica (with transcript)
November 2009 Cover

Letters to the Editor

GALLERY

Whitewash

by Marc Burckhardt

GALLERY

Disinclination

by Gary Taxali

GALLERY

Health sCare

by Felix Sockwell

POETRY

Villanelle with a Refrain from the Wall Street Journal

by Andrew Hudgins

POETRY

Cardinal

by Stanley Plumly

POETRY

The Burning Ship

by Campbell McGrath

ADVICE

What’s Your Problem?

by Jeffrey Goldberg

dispatches

HEALTH

How I Survived China

Our man in Beijing returns home, with lungs only somewhat the worse for wear.

by James Fallows

MODERN PLAGUES

The Boar War

A wild menace invades Houston.

by Malcolm Gay

THE MILITARY

Wipeout

Guam’s surfers fret about the impact of a $15 billion defense buildup on their island.

by Jeannette Lee

ENERGY

Oil on Ice

Will Greenland become the Nigeria of the Arctic?

by Joshua Kucera

GLOBALIZATION

¡Hola, Hezbollah!

How a Lebanese mullah found happiness in Paraguay

by Graeme Wood

DRINK

The World on the Rocks

For fans of the legendary cocktail writer Charles H. Baker, the contents of a drink are less compelling than the story behind it.

by Wayne Curtis

RECIPES:

Exotic concoctions from the files of Charles H. Baker

TRAVEL

Finding Peace in Colombia

A thrill seeker surrenders to South America’s scariest nation.

by William Powers

TECHNOLOGY

Filtering Reality

How an emerging technology could threaten civility

by Jamais Cascio

Books

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Mad About Mad Men

What’s wrong—and what’s gloriously right—with AMC’s hit show

by Benjamin Schwarz

VIDEO:

Benjamin Schwarz deconstructs scenes from Mad Men that reveal Don Draper’s vulnerable side

The Pity of War

Is leading one’s own troops to slaughter ever justified?

by Christopher Hitchens

COVER TO COVER

Cover to Cover

Alice Munro's way with women; the obstetric dialectic; and more

Columns

BUSINESS

Misleading Indicator

Will the Great Recession finally end our misguided obsession with gross domestic product?

by Megan McArdle

MOVING PICTURES

Retching With the Stars

The addictive appeal of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab

by James Parker

VIDEO:

James Parker comments on his favorite scenes from the VH1 show